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The New York Yankees lost an absolute heartbreaker in Game 1 of the 2024 World Series on Friday night, with Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Freddie Freeman smacking a walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the 10th inning.
The Bronx Bombers scored a run in the top of the 10th, and Yankees manager Aaron Boone decided to turn to left-hander Nestor Cortes for matchup purposes, even though he hadn't pitched in 37 days due to injury. He initially got Shohei Ohtani to fly out before intentionally walking Mookie Betts. That's when Freeman stepped up and took Cortes deep on the first pitch he saw.
Following the heartbreaking defeat, Giancarlo Stanton sent reporters a strong message about Cortes. Via Gary Phillips:
“It's not the end of him,” Stanton said.
The reality is that Boone put Cortes in a very tough spot. Would the southpaw use that as an excuse? Absolutely not. He definitely wanted to be in that moment with the game on the line. It's what every young kid dreams of when they're growing up playing baseball. The Cuban made one bad pitch, and Freeman made him pay. That's really all there is to it.
The Yankees didn't have Cortes on the ALDS or ALCS rosters as he continued to recover from an elbow injury. Given this is a seven-game series, Boone will likely use the lefty again in the series as a starter. He'll have his chance to bounce back.
New York heads into Game 2 on Saturday night in serious need of a win to avoid a 2-0 hole heading back home. They will turn to Carlos Rodon here, who has a 4.40 ERA in the postseason. The Dodgers will counter with Japanese phenom Yoshinobu Yamamoto. He hasn't pitched particularly well in the playoffs, posting a 5.11 ERA.
We'll see if the Yankees can get to him early and make Dave Roberts call to his bullpen.
